When a neighbor’s beloved pet turns on you or a family member without warning, the trauma of such a surprise attack cannot be ignored. How do you explain your newly acquired hesitancy to step outside your own front door? Where do you get the money to pay for expensive skin grafts? How do you tell your neighbors that their precious pet has caused deep pain? Our Kentucky dog bite lawyers may not be able to help you through your fear, but we can get you fair compensation for your pain and suffering.
Dog Bites: More Common That You Might Have Thought
While you may have been caught off-guard by a Louisville dog attack, you are not alone. More than 4.7 million dog bites occur each year, and one in six requires medical attention. Dog bites are the fifth most common reason for a child’s visit to the emergency room.
Our experienced Kentucky dog bite lawyers can help you get compensation for your dog bite injuries, which can include:
- Vision loss
- Hearing loss
- Facial bone fractures
- Nerve damage
- Tissue loss
- Brain injury
- Deformity
- Rabies or other infection
- Emotional injury, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Because a dog bite is generally an attack rather than a freak accident, the emotional trauma is often heightened. Someone who has been bitten by a dog may never feel comfortable around strange animals again. Children are especially susceptible to severe emotional scars following a serious dog attack.
If you or a family member has been the victim of a Kentucky dog attack, you don’t have to suffer alone. Call the experienced dog bite lawyers at Gray and White Law at 502-210-8942 or toll free at 1-888-450-4456. We will fight for your rights and peace of mind.
Common Causes for Kentucky Dog Bite Attacks
Dogs may bite for a variety of reasons, such as:
- To show domination;
- As a defensive technique when they’re scared or surprised;
- To protect their owner or territory;
- If they are in pain;
- When they are overly excited.
Some dog breeds, such as pit bulls or Rottweilers, are more prone to aggression and biting than others. In addition, the dog in question may already have a history of biting and be labeled as a dangerous dog.
According to Kentucky’s Dog Bite Law, the Dog’s Owner is Responsible for Dog Bite Injuries
The dog’s owner is responsible for any injuries to another person, livestock or pet. If you or a family member has been injured, or if your livestock has been wounded, you may have the right to go after the dog owner for damages.
Keep in mind that many dog owners view their pet as a beloved member of the family, or at the very least an innocent animal that would never injure a person unprovoked. Therefore, the owner may try to defend the dog and blame the victim for somehow goading the animal.
While it is possible that the dog was simply overly excited and did not intend to hurt the victim, the pain is no less real. No matter the reason for the attack, if you or a family member has been injured, you deserve compensation.
You should know that Kentucky law nearly always favors the victim. In fact, the Kentucky dog bite law allows anyone to seize or kill a dog that has wounded another person or livestock.
What if the Dog Attack was Provoked by the Victim?
In some cases, the person injured may have indeed provoked the dog. This is particularly true with young children, such as when a child plays too roughly with a neighbor’s dog. However, Kentucky law does not allow children aged seven years and younger to be held responsible for a dog bite, even if they were provoking the dog.
Adults may have a slightly harder time proving a case if they failed to act safely around the dog. That said, because of the significant emotional trauma and extensive physical injury associated with a dog attack, the victim has a right to at least partial compensation for injuries even in a provoked attack.
Our Kentucky Dog Bite Lawyers Are Here to Help You Recover Compensation for Your Injuries
If you or a family member is dealing with the traumatic aftermath of a dog bite, you don’t have to suffer anymore. Call the experienced Louisville personal injury attorneys of Gray and White Law today at 502-210-8942 or toll free at 1-888-450-4456.